The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
The present invention is directed to a circular hydraulic press and method for reforming and resizing a combustion chamber rear support member of a jet engine; and specifically a plurality of annular chamber openings in a combustion chamber housing, by applying a unidirectional force to mold the chamber openings around a disk having a predetermined annular shape and circumference; thereby creating a substantially annular shape and a desired circumference in the chamber openings.
The inventor has worked with jet engines for many years. The inventor was familiar with the basic concept of a jet engine; knowing that it was merely a type of gas turbine engine that works by compressing air through an inlet and a compressor (axial, centrifugal, or both), mixing fuel with the compressed air, burning the mixture in a combustion chamber, and then passing the hot, high pressure air through a turbine and a nozzle. Thus, the inventor realized that the jet engine converts internal energy in the fuel to kinetic energy in the exhaust, producing thrust.
However, one specific component of the engine was brought to the attention of the inventor. The inventor recognized that the combustion chamber housing was a disk-shaped piece that contained nine chamber openings, each containing a combustion chamber, and a concentric air passage opening through which high velocity air flowed.
The inventor saw that the chamber openings often become deformed due to the high velocity air being funneled by the turbines, and the excessive heat generated during combustion of the air. This deformation creates imperfect annular shapes and incorrect circumferences for operation of the jet engine.
It came to the inventor's attention that these deformations may be especially problematic since the chamber openings contain fuel nozzles that spray fuel into the high velocity air, and the fuel may be misguided if the chamber opening is deformed. Every certain amount of time, airplane turbines are required and needed to be repaired. One of the parts with more attention and very time consuming in the process, are the combustion chambers and supports. Thus, the inventor concluded that due to high temperature and pressure the combustion chambers rear support gets deformed and a delicate work is needed to be done.
The inventor observed that this process of resizing chamber openings was being mainly done, manually using hammers and impact tools. Few fully equipped shops might use heavy hydraulic table tools. Either ways, the process was very slow taking longs hours, even days depending of the level of deformation in the nine holder. The inventor also saw that this manual reforming created inaccurate dimensions and lots of gaps and the perfect circumference of the chamber openings was difficult to obtain.
The inventor decided to design a press that would mold the chamber opening around a disk having a predetermined annular shape and circumference, such as that was desired from the chamber opening.
Through additional research, the inventor learned that a hydraulic pump and piston were effective for applying a unidirectional force on the perimeter of the chamber opening. The chamber opening could be molded to fit around a disk having a predetermined annular shape and circumference that fit the specifications of the chamber opening.
Nonetheless, the inventor realized that an apparatus was needed to press the chamber opening around the disk. The inventor designed a bar having a U-shaped end and a panel having a C-shaped edge. The “U” and “C” shapes could be brought together around the chamber opening, forming a generally annular shape. The hydraulic piston was used to displace the panel towards the rod.
Unfortunately, the inventor realized that different types of chamber openings required different amounts of force. Excessive force tended to crimp the chamber opening, while if the force was too little, the chamber opening could not be molded around the disk. The inventor decided to add manual force adjustment members that could be rotated to displace the panel, either towards or away from the chamber opening.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a hydraulic press and method for reforming and resizing a chamber opening in a combustion chamber housing for a jet engine. Metal reforming and resizing tools have been utilized in the past; yet none with the characteristics of the present invention. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,889,578; 3,698,273; and 7,174,862.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a delivery method and device that allows a delivery vehicle to pass through a resident lane in a private community and avoid a guest lane through the use of an identifying signal emitted from a transponder or through optical character recognition technology of a license plate.